Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Santa Cruz' Bull Ring to be Saved
Birmingham's Bull Ring Shopping Center (one of the largest in the United Kingdom) is built on a place where bulls were slaughtered.
Now the city of Santa Cruz in Tenerife is to have it's own equivalent, as its Plaza de Toros (Bull Ring) is turned into a "Plaza de todos" (Plaza for everyone), combining social and commercial use.
Over the weekend a total of 35 prospective designs for the project were put on display, for the public to view and vote on. On Monday, a jury made the final selection.
The chosen project, by architects Antonio del Pozo Mozo, César del Pozo Ortega and Carlos Bernal Limiñana received the most public votes (166)and majority support from the jury.
Only 6 of the 35 designs had proposed the total demolition of the present bull ring building, but the winner will keep this emblematic facade intact.
The current building will be consolidated structurally, with the facade restored in it's present form and used as a container for a public space. In the interior, the raised, tiered stands are to be retained for recreational use.
The Plaza de Toros de Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Santa Cruz' Bull Ring) was inaugurated initially in 1893 - as a consequence of the the then huge following for bullfighting in the city in the late 19th Century - with a capacity of 6,800.
In 1924 the Bull Ring suffered a fire and a large part of it was destroyed. In 1927, after remodelling works, it was reopened and remained in use for bullfighting until 1983. From then onwards the Plaza de Toros has been used for a variety of other events, among them the various Carnaval contests, Canarian wrestling, boxing, political rallies and musical concerts.
The new project includes 2,325 square meters for recreational and cultural use; 1,425 sq meters for commercial use (shops); 1,840 square meters of office space and the remaining 5,520 square meters is for residential use.
Aerial photo and map of the Plaza de Toros (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
El proyecto ganador es "Plaza de Todos" Via: territoriosred
Photo: Plaza de toros, Mataparda
